DOJ OLC memo concludes that Trump’s Whitaker appointment is legal

The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has advised President Trump that it was within his authority to nominate an official such as former DOJ chief of staff Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general following Jeff Session’s resignation. In its written opinion, the OLC argued that the the Vacancies Reform Act (VRA) and AG Succession Act present two possible legal avenues for choosing a temporary AG successor, and that neither supersedes the other. The VRA allows the president to choose a high-level agency official who has served for 90 days, regardless of whether they have received Senate confirmation. Here’s the text of the opinion.

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